Thanksgiving is upon us – a great time to be thankful for all the blessings we have in our lives. That means it’s also a great time to think about all the people in our lives we’re thankful for. One way to show people we’re thankful for them is to give them a gift, and with Christmas right around the corner, here’s your chance!
Now, Black Friday might hold all the big deals on all of the big ticket items, but Small Business Saturday affords the opportunity to get to know and purchase from small, quality businesses and help support these people and their families. Get your bookmarks ready, because here are some Catholic small businesses to purchase from this year! Please check each shop’s policies for holiday ordering!
For the little people in your life:
Baby My Love
From dresses to leggings, from moccasins to baby gown sets and more, Baby My Love is full of high quality, organic fabric clothing! Each item is handmade and fabric prints run in limited quantities, so grab your favorites while you can!
Saintly Heart
More peg saints! These beautifully, hand-painted saints are sure to make any little one’s day. A unique offering: The Encyclopedia of Peg Saints (pictured) contains information on 36 saints that Saintly Heart has hand-crafted and is endorsed by Bishop Wall of Gallup, NM! There are also peg saint bookmarks available– what a cute stocking stuffer!
Sanctus Stitches
Sanctus Stitches handcrafts high quality wool felt saint dolls. It’s really all in the details, here, from the hammer St. Joseph is holding to the sheep with St. Agnes or St. Anne with mini Mary! There are a variety of dolls that will sure to become any child’s next favorite best friend.
Magnifikid!
Magnifikid! is a division of Magnificat geared for kids ages 6-12 and is a monthly subscription. Inside each month’s packet, kids will find coloring page for each Sunday and major holidays, readings and prayers for Sunday mass with explanations, prayers, games, comics, and a parent page with suggested family prayers. While you’re there, pick up a copy of their first book Learning How to Pray.
Annunciation Designs
Annunciation Designs, on Peter’s Square (go check them out for a multitude of other Catholic businesses!) makes high quality muslin swaddling blankets and beautiful hand-lettered quotes and acrylic paintings. Perfect for any baby (or perhaps to order your Christmas cards from!)
My Catholic Kids
These are my go-to stocking stuffers. Cute magnets portraying a multitude of saints and includes a holy card of the saint with his/her story! My Catholic Kids also offers a Jess Tree Set, Fishing For Saints card game, and a subscription service.
For the ladies:
Brick House in the City
The premiere place for high-quality (in design, shirt material, and printing technique) Catholic women’s apparel (and one of my all-time favorites!), Brick House in the City offers stunning t-shirts with designs that explicitly shout the faith, like the female saints t-shirt (pictured) or shirts that don’t shout the faith quite so loudly (like “Embrace the Chaos and Choose Joy”). Bonus, St. Gianna’s daughter, Dr. Gianna Emanuela Molla recently saw this shirt and delighted in it! Brick House in the City also offers an array of stunning prints available for digital download or pre-printed.
Hannah Banana Beads
Hannah Banana Beads is run by a stay-at-home Catholic mom who loves designing jewelry. Her essential oil diffuser bracelets are beautiful and, with so many of the diffuser beads, you can have many of your favorite oils on hand (literally!) all at once. She also makes other bracelets, diffuser bracelets for men, and other necklaces and earrings.
Rakstar Designs
Rakstar Designs creates beautiful jewelry with favorite saints and quotes. All of the pendant quotes are hand-lettered and designed, adding a special touch and quality. There is sure to be something for anyone in her store!
For the guys:
Catholic Beard Balm Co.
For the guy in your life who rocks a beard and likes to smell like St. John the Baptist, Catholic Beard Balm! Choose from scents like Chrism, Holy Smokes, Lectio, Franciscan, and Orthodoxy. Available in singles, multi-packs, and subscriptions! Catholic Beard Balm as has other beard and mustache accessories available.
BeAst 4 Christ
BeAst 4 Christ = Be a Saint for Christ! These shirts encourage an active life in Christ and the universal call to holiness. There are athletic and performance wear shirts and an array of
For your home:
Sweet Oak Gallery
Sweet Oak Gallery makes beautiful, abacus-style kitchen rosaries that make praying the rosary easy to remember and do throughout the day. The multitude of designs means there will be one to fit any home decor!
Kristyn Brown Photo
The Flight into Egypt
Kristyn Brown is the photographer behind The Saints Project and her prints are absolutely stunning! From portraits of Mary and the Holy Family to so many saints, Kristyn Brown takes the images of the saints and translates them into modern beauty. I find it hard to look at her pictures without being moved in a big way! Some of her photographs were also featured at the World Meeting of Families. Read more about her and her project here.
For the nerds you love:
Tea with Tolkien
For the Hobbit at heart, Tea with Tolkien offers guided journals, apparel (men’s, women’s, children’s, and baby’s!), original art available for digital download, and travel mugs. They even have a few things for the C.S. Lewis fans!
For the Coffee Lover:
Guadalupe Roastery
Guadalupe Roastery is a family-run business that roasts and packages their coffee right in Florida. They are involved with everyone in the process of creating their delicious coffee, from those who roast and package to the farmers and bean pickers. When you become a member of their Coffee Club, you also choose a nonprofit to benefit from a portion of your subscription. Read more about the good they’re doing through the Coffee Club here.
Mystic Monks Coffee
Mystic Monks Coffee was started by some Carmelite Monks in Wyoming, looking for a way to support their community. They offer many different blends of coffee in either ground or whole bean variety, tea, K-Cup compatible versions, gift sets, mugs, and different subscription services! Never be tired or bored with your coffee again.
There are a lot of small Catholic businesses, and we hope you patronize some of them this holiday season. What are your favorite Catholic small businesses – leave your favorite in the comments!